1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for installation of workpieces, such as that of electronic component chips on a printed circuit board.
2. Description of the Background Art
As an example of a conventional workpiece installation apparatus for installing electronic component chips on a printed circuit board, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 62-114290 (1887).
This workpiece installation apparatus has a plurality of vertically movable suction heads arranged along a circumference of a rotatable table, around which a suction station and an installation station are located, where the electronic component chips are installed as follows.
First, the rotation of the rotatable table is stopped such that one suction head is located over the suction station, and then the suction head is vertically lowered to hold the electronic component chip placed on the suction station. Then, the suction head holding the electronic component chip is vertically lifted and the rotatable table is rotated for a predetermined angle such that the suction head holding the electronic component chip is located over the installation station, and then the suction head is vertically lowered to release the electronic component chip onto the printed circuit board placed on the installation station. This installation operation is repeated for the other suction heads as many times as necessary.
In such a conventional workpiece installation apparatus, the rotatable table must repeat intermittent rotational motion in which the rotation of the rotatable table must be stopped during the holding and releasing of the workpiece, so that the efficiency of the installation operation is limited by the loss time due to the stopping of the rotation of the rotatable table.
Also, in a conventional workpiece installation apparatus, the movement of the workpieces between predetermined positions of the suction station and installation station is realized by controlling the suction heads and the rotatable table by using mechanical links.